Lawson laughed. “A lot. But even without Dani’s magic, I’d love it. You’ll have to see the shop I’ve got here in the barn. I’m restoring a 1931 truck. She’s a beauty.”
From the tone of his buddy’s voice and the look in his eyes, Seth figured there was a story there. One that involved Dani and probably some sexy times in that truck.
His mind jumped to Chaos Machine and sexy times. Hell, he had no business thinking of her that way. She was Ford’s little sister, and she was about to turn his kitchen into a war zone.
So, why the hell was he looking forward to it?
Chapter 3
Good Morning To You
Mara rose early—baker’s hours.
The house was quiet around her, and she hoped she wouldn’t disturb anyone as she showered and dressed. Then she crept out of her room, easing the door closed behind her.
Her feet paused outside the door to Seth’s room. He was unexpected.
Gorgeous, sexy, brooding.
While they’d all chatted around the table the previous evening, he’d been quieter than most. Maybe part of being the new guy. She’d always been the type to babble when she was nervous, but she knew some people were the opposite.
Growing up with all the testosterone in her house, she’d learned to speak up for herself. Her brothers had encouraged that and ensured she could defend herself, too.
Not that she’d need to do that here. The farm exuded peaceful vibes. Her brother was best friends with Knox, and she’d met all the Malssums on previous video chats. All good men who loved and protected their women. Ford wouldn’t be friends with creeps or users.
This was a safe place where she could find some peace after Anson. Find her confidence again. Create enough fabulous new recipes that the jerk would die of jealousy. Okay, he’d never have the chance to taste anything she made, but she’d know they were better than anything he baked.
In the kitchen, she pulled up one of her morning baking playlists and pressed shuffle. When “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning,” from Oklahoma, filled the room, she knew she’d chosen perfectly.
Singing along, she gathered the ingredients she needed for apple Danishes. Puff pastry was always fun.
She’d have to ask Ford where to fill up on local supplies. She needed flour by the bucketful, not in bags. Hopefully, a local business worked with bulk orders.
As she worked the dough and chopped apples, she made a mental list of ingredients she needed. She’d add her purchases to the other kitchen so she wouldn’t keep using up the basics here.
She wanted to see the inn’s space and make it hers, but she’d wait until a normal hour before pestering Amber for a tour.
A shiver ran through her as she thought about sharing that tour—and the kitchen—with Seth Walters
From the way his eyes kept returning to the stack of dirty dishes the previous evening, she’d bet he cleaned up as he worked. She’d never mastered the skill, but no one could complain that she didn’t clean up. There was something about the routine tasks of scrubbing and sanitizing that had her brain formulating new tweaks for her goodies.
It was weird that a sink full of bubbles sparked her creativity. A dishwasher was a necessity, but she didn’t mind hand-washing either. If she wanted a sparkling kitchen to bake in, and she did, she didn’t mind putting in the hours to make it that way.
She hoped there was room in the other kitchen for a donut fryer. If a fryer was already there, it would likely be for savory foods. Having her own would mean knowing exactly what went into it and when it needed cleaning.
She was sure Mr. Cleanliness would appreciate that.
Deciding she had time to mix up something else, she checked out the pantry. Apple, raspberry, and honey would be a fun muffin combination. Walnuts, too.
While the Danishes cooled and the muffins baked, she sang along to “Another Day” from Rent.
After the song finished, she switched to her upbeat playlist to tackle the dishes. Clean-up required a strong beat. “Hakuna Matata” popped up first, making her grin as she sang along.
She spun around when the kitchen door swung open. Jolie and Ford walked in, with Hemsworth at their side. Both grinned at her. “Good morning.”
Flustered, she yanked her hands out of the soapy water and dried them quickly while she moved to turn off her music. “Good morning. Sorry about the music. Was it too loud? I get caught up and forget about it.”
Jolie laughed. “No worries, as your friends were singing.”
